Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Severe Secondary Hemorrhage after Hysterectomy

Abstract

Four of 1237 patients who underwent abdominal, laparoscopic, and vaginal hysterectomy between October 2013 and May 2015 had severe secondary hemorrhage after hysterectomy (2 conventional multiport total laparoscopic hysterectomies, 1 single-port access hysterectomy, and 1 total abdominal hysterectomy). The median time interval between hysterectomy and secondary hemorrhage was 28.4 days (range, 16-52 days). All 4 cases were treated with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), all of whom required blood transfusions to maintain vital functions before TAE. The mean operative time was 90 minutes. The median length of hospital stay after TAE was 12 days (range, 4-24 days), and the patients were discharged without complications or additional surgery. These cases show the value of minimally invasive TAE for patients experiencing severe secondary hemorrhage after hysterectomy.

Keywords: Hysterectomy complications; Postoperative hemorrhage; Secondary bleeding; Total laparoscopic hysterectomy.